


There’s a Lifetime and 42 seconds

by mllelouise



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Leaves Beacon Hills, First Kiss, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-12
Packaged: 2018-03-30 06:49:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3926980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mllelouise/pseuds/mllelouise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles knows he can't stop Derek from leaving Beacon Hills but it doesn't prevent his heart from being broken.</p><p>Beta reading by <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/laduchessederat">La Duchesse d'Erat</a> all remaining mistakes are mine.</p><p> <a href="http://theladyandthewolves.tumblr.com/post/118804639318/theres-a-lifetime-and-42-seconds">find it on tumblr</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	There’s a Lifetime and 42 seconds

Derek’s leaving town, it’s not a secret. Probably never coming back, that’s not a secret either, though he only shrugged when Scott asked, which for Derek is like a clear answer. The secret is: Stiles fears he’s gonna die being left behind. Heart drying from loneliness. Pining from more afar than ever.

Not that he could ask Derek to stay. Not that Derek would want Stiles to go with him. Stiles is the one with a long lasting crush here, with heartbeats going rollercoastery at the sight of his love interest. Derek doesn’t know, will never know, Stiles is too smart to risk ruining everything they built. Too coward to face rejection.

 

So he shuts his mouth and instead, helps Derek map his path, suggests places to stop for apple pie or the best point of view on top of a hill. Each mark on the map driving Derek away from him a bit more.

 

But it’s okay, it’s what friends do, help, support each other through bad days and good days. Stiles can survive without ever kissing Derek. Holding him. Dancing with him. That he can do. But he’s not sure he can make do without any Derek at all.

 

He should say something then. Like, “I’m gonna miss you” or “We can still skype whenever”. Something to not let Derek go away without knowing his absence will be noticed. Knowing people care here, even if this place is the last on earth he’d rather live in.

Stiles doesn’t have to say it’s gonna break his heart, that somehow the thought of Derek leaving feels worse than being possessed. Yeah Stiles knows he needs a better way of saying those things because they’re not in a Hallmark Christmas movie, there’s no need for drama or star crossed lover confession.

They’re Chandler and Joey, not Chandler and Monica.

 

Stiles’s standing in Derek’s kitchen, lost in this trail of thoughts, not listening to whatever is happening around him, not even looking as Derek goes through the cupboards, not remembering what they came looking for in the kitchen in the first place.

 

Now that his eyes focus back on their surroundings, he can see Derek drying the pie dish.

 

“Stiles?” Derek asks, brows frowning.

 

“Sorry,” Stiles says with no clue what Derek was telling him as he snaps out into his daydream.

 

“Am I _that_ boring?” Derek grins.

Stiles shakes his head. “I was looking for a way to say I’m gonna miss you without sounding like a Ross Geller”, Stiles says trying keep a casual tone, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, aware that Derek can hear it too.

 

Derek smiles, hands putting down the towel.

 

“Wanna come with me?” Derek asks, words coming out so easily it’s taking Stiles by surprise and leaving him speechless for at least 42 seconds, seconds he spends eyes wide open trying to decipher Derek’s expression, waiting for him to laugh at such a ridiculous offer, because it can be true, he heard it wrong.

 

But Derek looks dead serious and Stiles knows him well enough to know there’s not a hint of prank there, just a genuine offer.

 

“You don’t have to,” Derek adds, seeing how Stiles seems to hesitate.

“It’s not that,” Stiles shakes his head. “I thought you needed time alone, to find yourself, away from here?” he asks.

“It’s Beacon Hills I need to leave, not you. I just- I wasn’t sure you felt the same way, so I didn’t ask.”

“But, you- you’re serious?” Stiles needs to be sure.

“Yes,” Derek says.

Stiles’ mouth turns into a smile, full grin taking over all of his face. “Yes,” he whispers, in case talking too loudly might scare Derek away, make him take his offer back. ”Yeah,” he repeats, not sure if Derek’s the one he wants to convince or himself, “I’d like that,” he nods. It’s the kind of decision that either takes a lifetime or 42 seconds. You just know, or you’ll never will. Stiles knows. Always had, long before he was even aware of it. “I want that.”

 

“Good,” Derek says, taking a step toward Stiles and planting a kiss on his forehead, pausing a few seconds to look at Stiles, maybe to consider the deal they’ve just made, pleased it was so easy, before walking away with the intention of heading back to the living room.

 

But before he can do that, Stiles grabs his shirt and makes him stop and turn around, face him again. There’s a split second of hesitation, though it’s not really hesitation it’s Stiles admiring the sight of the man he’s been in love with for years, the man he’s gonna spend the next months with, and maybe more, if the stars align. If he read this right. His heart starts racing in his chest and his hands tighten a bit on the fabric, pulling Derek closer to him, Derek who’s smiling softly, giving Stiles the time to be ready to do whatever he has in mind, and what Stiles has in mind is closing the space between them and pressing his lips on Derek’s mouth, just one second, just to see if it fits.

 

And the next second, Derek is kissing Stiles back, a little deeper, taking Stiles lower lips between his teeth, kissing him fully and letting go, hand on his neck, only to stare at him, wide eyes full of possibilities and futures and gentle hopes.

“Good,” Stiles says, because no other word is strong enough to describe the way his heart feels settled, balanced and finally in the right place.

  
This, does fit.


End file.
